The sexagenary cycle
The 60 BaZi Day Pillars
Every BaZi Day Pillar pairs one Heavenly Stem with one Earthly Branch. The stem is your Day Master; the branch adds a zodiac sign, a main element, and hidden stems. Only 60 of the 120 possible-looking combinations belong to the traditional Jiazi cycle.
Which Day Pillar is yours?
It cannot be identified from your birth year or zodiac animal alone. Calculate the exact Four Pillars from your birth date, time, and place, then use this list to understand the result.
How to read a Day Pillar
1. Read the stem
The upper character is one of 10 Heavenly Stems. It defines the Day Master through element and Yin or Yang polarity.
2. Read the branch
The lower character is one of 12 Earthly Branches. It carries an animal, a main element, and one or more hidden stems.
3. Check the full chart
The Day Pillar is one eighth of the natal chart. Season, element balance, and the other six characters decide how strongly its themes apply.
Complete 60 Day Pillar list
The cycle is grouped below by Day Master. Four pillars with verified search demand have expanded guides; every row still shows the underlying chart facts.
Jia 甲
Yang Wood
- 甲子Rat
Jia Zi
Cycle #1
Wood stem · Water branch · hidden 癸
Read detailed guide → - 甲戌Dog
Jia Xu
Cycle #11
Wood stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 辛 / 丁
- 甲申Monkey
Jia Shen
Cycle #21
Wood stem · Metal branch · hidden 庚 / 壬 / 戊
- 甲午Horse
Jia Wu
Cycle #31
Wood stem · Fire branch · hidden 丁 / 己
- 甲辰Dragon
Jia Chen
Cycle #41
Wood stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 乙 / 癸
- 甲寅Tiger
Jia Yin
Cycle #51
Wood stem · Wood branch · hidden 甲 / 丙 / 戊
Yi 乙
Yin Wood
- 乙丑Ox
Yi Chou
Cycle #2
Wood stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 癸 / 辛
- 乙亥Pig
Yi Hai
Cycle #12
Wood stem · Water branch · hidden 壬 / 甲
- 乙酉Rooster
Yi You
Cycle #22
Wood stem · Metal branch · hidden 辛
- 乙未Goat
Yi Wei
Cycle #32
Wood stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 丁 / 乙
- 乙巳Snake
Yi Si
Cycle #42
Wood stem · Fire branch · hidden 丙 / 庚 / 戊
- 乙卯Rabbit
Yi Mao
Cycle #52
Wood stem · Wood branch · hidden 乙
Bing 丙
Yang Fire
- 丙寅Tiger
Bing Yin
Cycle #3
Fire stem · Wood branch · hidden 甲 / 丙 / 戊
- 丙子Rat
Bing Zi
Cycle #13
Fire stem · Water branch · hidden 癸
- 丙戌Dog
Bing Xu
Cycle #23
Fire stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 辛 / 丁
- 丙申Monkey
Bing Shen
Cycle #33
Fire stem · Metal branch · hidden 庚 / 壬 / 戊
- 丙午Horse
Bing Wu
Cycle #43
Fire stem · Fire branch · hidden 丁 / 己
- 丙辰Dragon
Bing Chen
Cycle #53
Fire stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 乙 / 癸
Read detailed guide →
Ding 丁
Yin Fire
- 丁卯Rabbit
Ding Mao
Cycle #4
Fire stem · Wood branch · hidden 乙
- 丁丑Ox
Ding Chou
Cycle #14
Fire stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 癸 / 辛
- 丁亥Pig
Ding Hai
Cycle #24
Fire stem · Water branch · hidden 壬 / 甲
- 丁酉Rooster
Ding You
Cycle #34
Fire stem · Metal branch · hidden 辛
- 丁未Goat
Ding Wei
Cycle #44
Fire stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 丁 / 乙
- 丁巳Snake
Ding Si
Cycle #54
Fire stem · Fire branch · hidden 丙 / 庚 / 戊
Wu 戊
Yang Earth
- 戊辰Dragon
Wu Chen
Cycle #5
Earth stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 乙 / 癸
- 戊寅Tiger
Wu Yin
Cycle #15
Earth stem · Wood branch · hidden 甲 / 丙 / 戊
- 戊子Rat
Wu Zi
Cycle #25
Earth stem · Water branch · hidden 癸
- 戊戌Dog
Wu Xu
Cycle #35
Earth stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 辛 / 丁
- 戊申Monkey
Wu Shen
Cycle #45
Earth stem · Metal branch · hidden 庚 / 壬 / 戊
- 戊午Horse
Wu Wu
Cycle #55
Earth stem · Fire branch · hidden 丁 / 己
Ji 己
Yin Earth
- 己巳Snake
Ji Si
Cycle #6
Earth stem · Fire branch · hidden 丙 / 庚 / 戊
- 己卯Rabbit
Ji Mao
Cycle #16
Earth stem · Wood branch · hidden 乙
- 己丑Ox
Ji Chou
Cycle #26
Earth stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 癸 / 辛
- 己亥Pig
Ji Hai
Cycle #36
Earth stem · Water branch · hidden 壬 / 甲
- 己酉Rooster
Ji You
Cycle #46
Earth stem · Metal branch · hidden 辛
- 己未Goat
Ji Wei
Cycle #56
Earth stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 丁 / 乙
Geng 庚
Yang Metal
- 庚午Horse
Geng Wu
Cycle #7
Metal stem · Fire branch · hidden 丁 / 己
- 庚辰Dragon
Geng Chen
Cycle #17
Metal stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 乙 / 癸
- 庚寅Tiger
Geng Yin
Cycle #27
Metal stem · Wood branch · hidden 甲 / 丙 / 戊
- 庚子Rat
Geng Zi
Cycle #37
Metal stem · Water branch · hidden 癸
- 庚戌Dog
Geng Xu
Cycle #47
Metal stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 辛 / 丁
- 庚申Monkey
Geng Shen
Cycle #57
Metal stem · Metal branch · hidden 庚 / 壬 / 戊
Xin 辛
Yin Metal
- 辛未Goat
Xin Wei
Cycle #8
Metal stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 丁 / 乙
- 辛巳Snake
Xin Si
Cycle #18
Metal stem · Fire branch · hidden 丙 / 庚 / 戊
- 辛卯Rabbit
Xin Mao
Cycle #28
Metal stem · Wood branch · hidden 乙
- 辛丑Ox
Xin Chou
Cycle #38
Metal stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 癸 / 辛
- 辛亥Pig
Xin Hai
Cycle #48
Metal stem · Water branch · hidden 壬 / 甲
- 辛酉Rooster
Xin You
Cycle #58
Metal stem · Metal branch · hidden 辛
Read detailed guide →
Ren 壬
Yang Water
- 壬申Monkey
Ren Shen
Cycle #9
Water stem · Metal branch · hidden 庚 / 壬 / 戊
- 壬午Horse
Ren Wu
Cycle #19
Water stem · Fire branch · hidden 丁 / 己
- 壬辰Dragon
Ren Chen
Cycle #29
Water stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 乙 / 癸
Read detailed guide → - 壬寅Tiger
Ren Yin
Cycle #39
Water stem · Wood branch · hidden 甲 / 丙 / 戊
- 壬子Rat
Ren Zi
Cycle #49
Water stem · Water branch · hidden 癸
- 壬戌Dog
Ren Xu
Cycle #59
Water stem · Earth branch · hidden 戊 / 辛 / 丁
Gui 癸
Yin Water
- 癸酉Rooster
Gui You
Cycle #10
Water stem · Metal branch · hidden 辛
- 癸未Goat
Gui Wei
Cycle #20
Water stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 丁 / 乙
- 癸巳Snake
Gui Si
Cycle #30
Water stem · Fire branch · hidden 丙 / 庚 / 戊
- 癸卯Rabbit
Gui Mao
Cycle #40
Water stem · Wood branch · hidden 乙
- 癸丑Ox
Gui Chou
Cycle #50
Water stem · Earth branch · hidden 己 / 癸 / 辛
- 癸亥Pig
Gui Hai
Cycle #60
Water stem · Water branch · hidden 壬 / 甲
Day Pillar questions
Is the Day Pillar the same as the Day Master?
No. The Day Master is only the Heavenly Stem at the top. The Day Pillar includes both that stem and the Earthly Branch underneath it.
Does a Day Pillar determine personality?
It offers one symbolic lens, not a diagnosis or fixed fate. A proper BaZi reading checks the Month Pillar, season, all five elements, and interactions across the complete chart.
Why are there 60 combinations instead of 120?
Stems and branches advance together while preserving Yin-Yang parity. Their 10-step and 12-step cycles realign after 60 positions, forming the complete Jiazi cycle.